Glacial Girls
At long last, the Volume 3 cover art is ready to debut! Here we have the trio of baddies — Mizumi, Drumlin and Moulin of the Moraine Kingdom.
If the Return to Labyrinth quartet were a trilogy, I guess this would make volume 3 the Empire Strikes Back edition. In addition to an icy scene, there’s also a wrinkly mystic, so I think the comparison is apt. No gas mining pimp daddies, though. Does Toby lose an arm? You’ll have to wait and see!
Now on to the contest judging! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. To the folks who nominated Jareth and Sarah (re: EVERYBODY!)… er, not so much. At least not this time. There’s still one more volume to go 
The prize has to go to “Sarah” who said:
The top right corner will have Mizumi watching over them all. I’m not sure on the colours. I’m thinking maybe a white and black colour scheme with a hint of other colours…
Several people mentioned Mizumi, but only Sarah called out her position on the page (did you raid the Hall of Prophecies?!), plus her color scheme was pretty close. In her honor, volume 4 will have a character named Sarah in it! You would think this contest was rigged! Fine, I’ll get in touch with “Sarah” about a more Gobliny name in her honor.
Thanks to Bryce and the folks at Henson for allowing me to post this preview.
19. August 2008 at 10:33 am :
Congrats Sarah! ^_^ Can’t wait to see what your goblin name is going to be!
19. August 2008 at 11:01 am :
LOL, I just knew that she’d win it, after all ,”Sarah” has the power of the Goblin King at her disposal! (Could you perhaps wish the Goblin King come and take me away?…Right now?….Please?)
You should hold more contests for the fourth volume! It’s fun getting a chance to be a part of Labyrinth! If you guys ever need some ideas for Goblins you should ask us to submit designs!
19. August 2008 at 11:26 am :
Gorgeous cover! But where will the book’s title go? I’d almost hate to see words covering up part of this artwork, it’s such a nice piece and really stands on its own…
19. August 2008 at 11:30 am :
Tanuki: It’ll likely go across Moulin’s foot on the bottom. You’re right about it looking nice on its own without logo. Maybe Tokyopop or Henson could do a poster of some sort down the line?
19. August 2008 at 12:05 pm :
Yes, my thought exactly: this is crying out to be turned into a poster!
19. August 2008 at 12:15 pm :
Oh, frak, my original guess was these two, believe it or not. After deliberating with my husband, he convinced me that they would not be the cover girls. He’s wrong again … as usual! Haha.
Thanks so much for posting the cover! I’m looking forward to reading volume three.
19. August 2008 at 12:32 pm :
I’m sort of coveting Moulin’s outfit. Damn you.
19. August 2008 at 2:19 pm :
Pretty pretty princesses!
Makes me wonder who their father is. Or if they even have a father…
I can’t wait to read it! It won’t be too much longer now.
19. August 2008 at 3:52 pm :
Wow! Kouyu Shurei has once again outdone herself!
I can hardly stand the anticipation for volume three!
19. August 2008 at 5:58 pm :
ahhh i love the blue color scheme! ^_^ Moulin looks really awesome, as do the other two
which leads me to wonder, will the daughters be playing a more important role in this volume? that’s usually been the case with whoever is on the cover…
now im even more excited to read this
major kudos to Kouyu Shurei-san!
19. August 2008 at 9:01 pm :
Beautiful cover!
I also wonder about their father, if they have one. It’s not Jareth, I’m 99% certain. Are they twins? They look the same age in the volume 2 flashback. Speaking of which, Moulin didn’t have a raincloud then and Drumlin wasn’t fat. How odd.
20. August 2008 at 3:15 am :
[...] Forbes gives us a sneak peek at the cover of vol. 3 of Return to Labyrinth at [...]
20. August 2008 at 6:26 am :
Has anyone noticed that the colour of Moulin’s scar is blue? Does this mean that it’s not really a scar, but some sort of decoration (Or bit of make-up?)
If it is a scar, Maybe it was done by magic, leading to the strange colour (Maybe meaning that Mummy Dearest gave it to her as punishment for something?)
Or since they’re not human, maybe their blood is a different colour that results in blue scars? They have a connection to water, so maybe they have blue blood (They are royalty after all). If that’s the case then anyone could’ve given it to her…Hmmmm….
20. August 2008 at 9:58 am :
Congrats, Sarah!
20. August 2008 at 10:21 am :
I was wondering about Moulin’s scar too. I figure she got into a nasty fight. Here’s something that bothers me. Jareth obviously did something to Esker in the past (volume 1). The description of this character at Tokyopop implies this character is a mute and yet we see him addressing Mizumi more than once in the manga and it’s not telepathic thought bubbles. What is the deal with her body guard?
20. August 2008 at 10:52 am :
RE: “scar” — Moulin isn’t scarred — it’s just a decoration. As for Esker, he can definitely talk. You’ll see him again in volume 3.
-Jake
20. August 2008 at 10:56 am :
Wow:S I’m actually in shock that I’ve managed to win something and especially a competition to do with my favourite movie of all time.
So what do I do? Are you going to email me or do we talk over the comments here?
Thank you to everyone that has congratulated me:) The people that come on this blog are so nice. I wish everyone could have a chance to have a Goblin named after them, I feel abit unworthy now. Guessing my name is a good luck charm.
The cover is so pretty, it really is a work of art. I agree with MasonTemplar and Tanuki it would look amazing as a poster so would the other covers though to be honest.
Oh and Kristi if I had the power of the Goblin king at my disposal I’d be the happiest girl in the world;) Also I see what you mean about the blue marking on Moulin. I’m thinking it probably is a scar like you and Mandy said. I like the idea that Mizumi did it but that leads to the question of what did she do to deserve it? Then again doesn’t Mizumi herself have a similar marking going down from her bottom lip to her chin? I also thought it was make-up but maybe it could be a birthmark to symbolise their royal blood or potential for magic or something? If so where’s Drumlin’s mark?
Another thing is both Mizumi and Moulin have ‘M’ names and come from Moraine another ‘M’ yet Drumlin begins with a ‘D’ and is also fat whilst her mother and sister are thin. I wonder why she has these differences? Or am I just overanalyzing again? Ah well.
Can’t wait for volume 3 to come out. I really want to see the interaction between Sarah and Jareth and see her reaction to him.
20. August 2008 at 10:59 am :
Oh well that’s my long comment about the scar dismissed lol and I feel embaressed for not knowing MasonTemplar was you now. Always been abit bad with names, sorry. If only I’d waited a few minutes before typing that dammit.
20. August 2008 at 11:06 am :
Sarah — I’ll e-mail you via the e-mail you use when commenting, okay? Congratulations!
20. August 2008 at 11:34 am :
Okay, thank you.
20. August 2008 at 12:19 pm :
Just ignore Jake T. Forbes not so subtle references to certain ’secret’ societies and you won’t be weirded out.
20. August 2008 at 12:22 pm :
Ah, so it is decorative. I had wondered about the make up / scar but since she’s of a water based kingdom I thought maybe her scar would have a watery / icy hue to it. Now that I know it’s make up I like it.
Weirdly I’m now wondering how Drumlin looks with her hair down. If having it so tightly like that gives it a wave when it’s loose or if her hair is very thin against her very large face.
20. August 2008 at 12:25 pm :
It’s the description of Esker on TokyoPop’s site that had me confused about him.
‘Esker – Mizumi’s most deadly assassin. Esker cannot speak and he shows no emotions.’
That’s in the character info section on the Tokyopop page for Return to Labyrinth. You may want to ahve them fix that.
I was practically scratching my head when I read that because I was certain he had spoken more than once.
20. August 2008 at 12:49 pm :
Not a scar? Okay. I’m slightly disappointed because I wanted it to tie in with who her father is.
Does anyone know if/and where I can find posters of the book covers? The first two would be great, but…*drool* that blue one is freaking awesome.
20. August 2008 at 1:29 pm :
I’ve seen a large poster of the first volume of Return to Labyrinth available on ebay once. It had said it was meant for a store display. I didn’t buy it.
20. August 2008 at 3:13 pm :
crap, I forgot to put this in my earlier comment: CONGRATULATIONS SARAH!!!
and all these speculations about Moulin and Drumlin’s father have made me curious…could you maybe drop us a hint as to who it is, Mr. Forbes, or will it be revealed in time?
20. August 2008 at 3:18 pm :
RE: Father questions –sorry! Not spoiling that mystery for you. You’ll have to wait until December, I’m afraid. I’ll narrow it down for you though — it’s not a Fiery.
-Jake
20. August 2008 at 5:31 pm :
Wow! I honestly didn’t really think the question of who their father is was going to pop up in the manga! But if you’re hinting that it’ll be revealed (Or atleast touched upon) in December…Hmmmm! Now you’ve got me interested!
I bet I know who it is too!
It was!…..
The Worm!
I’ll never look at him the same way again (Nor will I ever accept his invitation for tea!)
20. August 2008 at 8:26 pm :
Oh, please, dear God! Don’t tell me Drumlin somehow came out of Jareth’s DNA!
20. August 2008 at 8:27 pm :
Damn that worm. Slipping ruffies in his tea again. No, never trust the blue worm’s tea.
At least he’s not a green faery…
21. August 2008 at 8:56 am :
I doubt it’s Jareth, because the girls don’t look exactly like Mizumi but don’t look a thing like Jareth. I figure the dark hair has to come from their father. I hope so.
21. August 2008 at 9:42 am :
I think that the movie proved that although unconventional, Jareth is a good Dad (He kept Toby entertained, made sure he had his bottle)…So I would expect (Or rather hope) that if he did sire Drumlin and Moulin he would step up as a Dad…
And after all, if her children were Jareth’s biological offspring, wouldn’t Mizumi had brought it up by now? After all, her children would be the rightful heirs, besides being chosen by Jareth Toby doesn’t have any solid ties to inherit the throne…
Then again, Jareth and Mizumi were once really close, so maybe during this time Moulin and Drumlin were conceived…I may be over-analyzing this, but during Mizumi’s flashback in Volume two, there’s an image of her and Jareth looking fondly at each other. Jareth is holding two crystals….while Mizumi is holding onto Jareth’s hand…
I wonder, is this simply a representation of how “My power and his became like notes of a common chord”, i.e the two beings sharing their power (As Jareth’s power is represented by his Crystals)…
Or is this symbolizing the ‘birth’ of Moulin and Drumlin? In the beginning of the second volume they look like twins, same age, same appearance.
Maybe instead of the ‘traditional’ way of making children, Moulin and Drumlin were conceived through Mizumi and Jareth’s sharing of magic? That might explain why there’s no resemblance from Jareth…
Hurrr….I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. If Jareth is the father then I’m not sure if Moulin or Drumlin were aware of it when they were young (Look how they act towards Jareth when they were kids).
Maybe the pages that Jake showed up in his last update have Moulin reveal to Toby who their father is? Maybe Moulin learned who he was, or knew all along and decided to tell Toby (Thereby challenging his role as heir)…
Urgh, now I’m going to be wondering about this for a while…I wish I could sneak into Jake’s brain and see what he’s got planned…
21. August 2008 at 1:29 pm :
maybe Esker is the dad, but did something wrong and got demoted to bodyguard :O hey, you never know!
Mandy-is the green faery a reference to the film Moulin Rouge by any chance?
the dad’s not a Fiery, huh? you could’ve had a lot of fun with that plot twist, Jake
21. August 2008 at 2:33 pm :
Alot of good points have been brough up. Just who did father Moulin and Drumlin ? Mizumi isn’t married, so I guess it might be fair to say she’s a single mother maybe ?
21. August 2008 at 3:48 pm :
I’m personally very curious about the entire parentage issue about Moulin and Drumlin. But if Jareth really is their dad (and I am praying he isn’t), I think I’ll scream and beat my head against the wall.
Did anyone notice it’s not the castle beyond the goblin city in the background? Is that important or am I just being over-analytical?
Oooh! Since the topic of Esker has come up, I think Mizumi consumed Esker’s essence like she threated to do to Jareth because he looks like he’s practically a walking-dead. I might be being a little silly, so if I am can someone (hint, hint) tell me so I can check it off my list of RTOL theories?
21. August 2008 at 4:42 pm :
I believe that’s their castle, since they don’t live in the Labyrinth (and shoot, I forgot what their homeland is called >_<) Perhaps part of this volume will take place there
so my final theory rolled together with the help of Goblinize Me!’s point: Esker is the father, but Mizumi consumed his essence and made him her bodyguard
but that’s only a theory, im not trying to build up any expectations!
22. August 2008 at 9:39 am :
Their kingdom is called Moraine. It means an accumulation of unconsolidated glacial soil and rock.
Moulins, drumlins, and eskers are also features of glaciers.
22. August 2008 at 9:43 am :
‘Mandy-is the green faery a reference to the film Moulin Rouge by any chance?’
The reference in Moulin Rouge was to absinthe a very, very intoxicating drink that when made properly (with worm wood) is actually illegal in the U.S. In the nineteenth century they used to call Absinthe The Green Faery.
As good as Moulin Rogue was there was nothing original to it, everything was a reference to something else.
22. August 2008 at 9:49 am :
Wow. This is a beautiful cover.
In a way, I hope that if Sarah meets up with them, she has a one on one fight or… battle of wits between Mizumi. I think It’d be just TOO awesome to have Sarah and Mizumi fight spar with words. *giggles gleefully* For some reason, I think that play at the begining of the series had something to do with the ending of this Manga.
But, time will tell… Now, about the cover, I think it’s lovely. Very powerful, and I think it was time that the baddies got center stage. Moulin looks amazing, and Mizumi … god, is she evil! Jake, this spoil really made my day, and the fact you said that this version is like the Empire Strikes Back of the Trilogy… Well, I guess we’re going to find out the secret behind Moppet! And, the attack on the Moraine kingdom… ala, Death Star II / Empire.
Okay. Enough from me. Thanks for allowing us to see the cover. And don’t mind my speculations!
22. August 2008 at 10:16 am :
‘For some reason, I think that play at the begining of the series had something to do with the ending of this Manga.’
I think it’s safe to say Uh, huh. Yeah. Definite foreshadowing there much like Sarah’s original speech and the butterfly release in Corpse Bride or the dragon figurine in the Dresden Files episode Things that go bump. I love good foreshadowing. When done well you can look back at it and go ‘That was really nice foreshadowing.’
23. August 2008 at 5:38 am :
Esker being Moulin and Drumlin’s daddy would-tie in nicely with the mental image I have black-widow when ever I think of Mizumi getting married.
Foreshadowing is fun! But wouldn’t that mean Jareth is Toby’s father? A quick paraphrase: “You lied and tricked my father into turning against me!” But then again maybe this is just a reference to Jareth’s fatherly disposition towards Toby? Although, admittedly, the girl playing the evil-elf/witch did look sort of like Mizumi…
23. August 2008 at 7:17 am :
“But wouldn’t that mean Jareth is Toby’s father? ”
Well, Jake did say this was The Empire Strikes Back of the series, so maybe there’s something we’re not being told… LOL! What a twist that would be!
23. August 2008 at 8:51 am :
I’ve had Jareth as Toby’s secret father in fan fictions and role playing games since 1999. It just felt like an obvious potential twist for role playing game purposes. Stop reading my mind! It’s creepy.
Not to mention I used 1,300 for his age, myself, but considering the Labyrinth inclination toward 13 that was a pretty obvious leap. Though it does give me this bizarre sense of ‘Ha! I was right!’
23. August 2008 at 10:49 am :
Till December!?AH! That’s a long time! *tears* Oh well, in the meantime, I’ll just watch the ” Labyrinth” to keep me entertain. Congratulations Sarah on winning the contest!
23. August 2008 at 5:59 pm :
But WHAT will happen with Toby and Moppet?!?! Does anybody *care* anymore? I do…
23. August 2008 at 6:06 pm :
*raises hand*
I do, I do!
I really want Toby and Moppet to get together, but something’s telling me it isn’t going to happen *pouts*
23. August 2008 at 8:35 pm :
That something would be the fact that if Moppet is a (blonde) duplicate of Sarah, Moppet/Toby is illegal, right?
I do hope that they both live happily ever after.
23. August 2008 at 9:00 pm :
Well, I don’t know how illegal it is, since technically Moppet and Sarah aren’t related (or are they?) But there is a little bit of an eww factor there. Can you imagine mackin on someone who looks exactly like your sister? Nuff said.
But I’m sure there will be happy endings all around, no matter where Jake decides to take it.
24. August 2008 at 9:49 am :
If Moppet has Sarah’s genetic makeup, she’s a Williams. Then again, maybe she was just transformed or glamored to look like Sarah, as opposed to being a magical clone, who knows?
24. August 2008 at 11:23 am :
I have a theory about why Moppet looks exactly like Sarah…I think Moppet is a manifestation of the part of Sarah that was given up in her quest to save baby Toby.
Think about it, where did Sarah have her epiphany about how she was being selfish and that she needed to grow up?
In the Junk piles…and where did we “first” see Moppet (Before she got her mask)? Starving and homeless, living in the junk piles…
I think that when Sarah had her maturing realization in the Junk piles, the part of her that we saw in the beginning of the film (The childish, fairy tale obsessed Sarah) was left behind and became Moppet.
Thus, it would explain why Moppet looks like Sarah, because Moppet used to be a part of Sarah.
And since Moppet was left to ‘Grow up’ in the Goblin Kingdom, she developed her own personality over time, becoming more than just a ‘Sarah clone’.
So Moppet is Sarah, but at the same time she isn’t…So even though she’s her own person, I don’t think Toby would be able to put aside the fact that he’d pretty much be dating his own sister…
And am I the only one that’s hoping for Candlewic to fall for Moppet? The big doof needs to realize what a catch Moppet is and show the gal a little love!
24. August 2008 at 12:12 pm :
I’m hoping for something to fall on Candlewic, personally. What a jerk.
24. August 2008 at 1:45 pm :
Yeah, Ginger, I’ve got a feeling Ol’ Monsieur Forbes is gonna pull an old 80s fantasy flick trick on us. Y’know, the “I Love You, But I can’t stay”(because the creators were running short on HEART!!!) crud.
Not to say that the Jakeula Forbesia is sucking. You’re doing one FINE job, sir. I just don’t want the manga to be a GIANT fanservice to Sarah/Jareth fans!
24. August 2008 at 2:01 pm :
Of all the things I want to come out of Return to Labyrinth, I think what I want to see most of all is a concrete solution to Sarah and Jareth’s relationship.
The movie didn’t really have an ‘end’ in that sense…you still felt a lingering in the air…Jareth watches Sarah celebrate her victory, before flying away…You could kind of tell that the tension between them hadn’t disappeared…
So while I’m really hoping that Jareth and Sarah end up together, if things don’t come to that then I want to at least see the both of them move on and be happy with the rest of their lives. It’s obvious that Jareth has had the hardest time letting go, so if anything I’d like to see him get a happy ending.
I don’t think there’s a danger of having the manga turn into nothing but JarethxSarah, after all, we’ve got all these plots involving Toby it would be weird to suddenly switch gears and change focus. Besides, if anyone really wanted some JarethxSarah smut, it’s easy to just dig up some fanfiction on the matter.
24. August 2008 at 2:33 pm :
Yup, I see that happening in the Jareth/Sarah front, but I’m perfectly okay with that. This is, after all, Toby’s story, so a lot of Sarah/Jareth fanservice would ruin it. I’m glad they’re going to meet again, and it should be interesting to read (So would a meeting between Mizumi and Sarah!), but I wouldn’t be too broken hearted if that did happen.
I remember the first time I saw Labyrinth, I got into a rather spirited debate with a friend of mine over the ending. She thought Sarah should have stayed, but I didn’t. I thought that she made the right choice (which she did, despite what Jareth/Sarah fans think!)
When I heard about the sequal, I was hesitant at first, because I assumed it would be three volumes of Sarah/Jareth fluff. I finally got around to reading it this spring, and I was so happy to see that my suspisions were wrong!
Jake is indeed doing a fine job with this sequal to a wonderful movie!
But speculation is fun!
24. August 2008 at 2:39 pm :
I want to see Jareth end up with Sarah. An old childhood hope. It was impossible by the nature and purpose of the original story but this one is different adn the meaning and intent is different. Thre is no need for Jareth to not end up with Sarah.
I think a part of me wants to see a redemption for Jareth. I want to see Jareth do something for Sarah to shatter every doubt ever made that he has feelings for her. And I want that act to be what provokes Sarah and him to finally have their happy ending.
I’m a little bit of a romantic.
24. August 2008 at 3:10 pm :
I’m not saying they shouldn’t, just that I wouldn’t be too disappointed if they didn’t. I would like to see Jareth redeem himself, like maybe Mizumi goes after Sarah, but Jareth stops her, and sacrifices himself.
That could tie in to the theory that was floating about a few posts ago, about the play Toby was in in the beginning of the first volume. Mizumi’s about to consume Sarah’s essence (lord, that sounds unpleasant!) and Jareth stops her, and make an offer to let her consume his essence instead. Then Toby comes, says the words he forgot, beats Esker, knocks Mizumi on her ass, and Sarah, in a movement of pure love and gratitude, kisses Jareth, restoring his liveliness, and the day is saved!
I’m probably way off base, but as I said before, speculation is fun!
24. August 2008 at 5:15 pm :
Ginger, I’ve had the exact same discussion with a friend of mine regarding the whole “Should Sarah have stayed?” thing. In casual conversation, I’ll always be the one that argues for the “Should have stayed side”, yet I know that the situation wouldn’t have felt right had Sarah actually stayed.
I think that as total outsiders in the situation, we tend to cherry-pick the emotions we take out of the movie. So some can only pick up on the romantic implications, while others can only see the story for what it is (Girl’s brother is kidnapped by Goblins by Glam-Rock King, girl must journey to save brother).
As a result, some of us see Labyrinth more as a love story than a fantasy film, which makes fans want to see the ‘Star-crossed lovers’ put together.
And while I must admit, everytime I watch Labyrinth a part of me sort of wishes Sarah agrees to stay, I can understand why she wouldn’t want to. After all, she just went through hell trying to get her brother, she probably just wants to go home.
Again, we’re just observers, it’s not really us that are running for our lives from the Cleaners, so we just forget about that moment of terror and keep daydreaming about the Ballroom scene…
And besides, maybe Jareth just wasn’t her type! Or maybe she just simply didn’t believe his offer. As the saying goes, the Labyrinth is “Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems”.
Think about it: You’ve conquered his Labyrinth, are one sentence away from winning, and the handsome King offers you his heart if you’d only agree to obey him.
Seems too good to be true, especially for someone Sarah’s age.
I think though, that in the time of the manga that Sarah’s kindof remorseful over giving up her love of fairy tales (And in that sense, the love of Jareth). She’s old enough now to better understand relationships and life in general…which just begs the question:
If Jareth were to ask her now, would she stay? Has she regretted having to choose between going home to her family, or staying in a world without care? Would she seize the opportunity in hopes of reclaiming part of her childhood?
Mandy, I’m totally with you in that Jareth needs to do something amazing to prove his love, not only to Sarah, but to us.
I mean, we had Sarah’s story-telling to hint that “the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the the girl”…but this was a story from her book, who knows if it really applied to her!
Jake, I wonder if it’s possible for you to set up some sort of forum for us to post speculations in while the volumes are being released. I feel like a page hog leaving these longs posts!
24. August 2008 at 7:45 pm :
Jake, I love what you have been doing with the manga and cannot wait for the next one…but I’m going to have to agree with most of these comments.
It’s a childhood dream of mine to see Jareth and Sarah end up together.
And even if they don’t, I want some “ending” to their relationship, as Kristi said. It’s been…how many years now since the movie came out…22 yrs?…and there are still so many unanswered questions!
Thankfully, this manga has answered a LOT of the ones I had at a young age….but I cannot wait for the next volume! I have it pre-ordered and am camping out beside my mailbox!….At least when I’m not at college anyway…Lol! ^_^’
25. August 2008 at 4:52 am :
Jareth and Sarah are one of my favorite couples, just because it seems so impossible they could actually live happily ever after. Jareth has control issues in a serious way and it’s safe enough to say that Sarah has them too. So, if they really do start having feeling for each other again, then there’s a good chance it might blow up in their faces just because Jareth is such a manipulator. The only way I can see it working is that Sarah gets really mad at Jareth because he’s been using her in order to defeat Mizumi (or that’s what it looks like) and storms off. Jareth runs after her, saves her life somehow, and when she starts to ask him why the *bleep* he saved her, he kisses her.
I like your idea better though, Ginger.
Then she slaps him. Starts to leave, half-expecting him to try and stop her, but Jareth is too shocked to. Then she realizes how much she loves him and grabs him and kisses him back.
Hallelujah for pre-ordering! Now all I must do is…wait…patiently. *whimpers and bangs head on desk*
25. August 2008 at 2:23 pm :
ahhh Kristen O, you voiced the same theory about Moppet that I had! I was hoping someone besides me would agree with it
I would love it if Jareth and Sarah would get together (once again, the childhood dream) but it’s your manga, Jake, and I’m excited to see where you’ll take this ^_^
The third one’s up for pre-order?! Eh I think I’ll just wait and go out the day it’s released, around here people sadly don’t care for that stuff too much, so I don’t have to worry about the volumes being sold out
25. August 2008 at 5:59 pm :
Darn it, Kristi O!
I’m already agonizing over the “what’s-gonna-happen-with-Jareth-and-Sarah” thing! You just planted new questions in my crazed fangirl mind that made it even worse!!!! ;_; Wah, is it December yet?
Judging by the thumbnail sample of them having coffee together (what is UP with that, btw?), I’d say they’re gonna have a grown-up conversation about their little escapade. And Moppet? (…) I just don’t even know. I’m not even gonna touch that one yet.
And since we’re actually talking to Master Jake (holy crap, I’ve never talked to a manga writer before! squee!), I have a few words for him: YOUR EDITOR’S A JERK!!! Not really, but all that stuff about “don’t think you know where this story’s going ’cause we just may surprise you” has me rolling on the floor in fangirl agony! By the way, I’m a total Fruits Basket fan and love your work on that one, too! ^_^ Tohru-kun forever!
25. August 2008 at 6:06 pm :
And one more thing, Kristi O…
Moppet and Candlewic? EW! He’s a totally ugly mug and a jock-jerk! Moppet deserves better! I’m not sure how I’d feel about a Moppet/Toby pairing, but Candlewic is butt oogly!
And your theory about her is pretty much what I thought, only you made it sound better ^_^ It’s kind of like Kingdom Hearts, when someone becomes a Heartless the “empty shell left behind” turns into their Nobody, which usually looks just like them with slight differences. *gasp* Moppet is Sarah’s Nobody! Holy crap! And Jake-san, I’m going to start calling you “sensei” every time I post here, ’cause that’s pretty much what you are (tho I hope you’re not a pervert like Shigure-san, LOL) ^_^
26. August 2008 at 6:23 am :
Agreement with Angela. Candlewic is so wrong for Moppet. But her resemblance to Sarah makes her relationship to Toby somewhat…yucky if it takes a romantic turn. Has anyone actually looked up the word ablation? It is an actually word and the meaning is…quite intriguing. I love it when there are obscure words like that in manga because then if you don’t know the word it could mean anything. Like palanquin.
I just started Fruits Basket. Big cat fan, although I like the dog almost as much.
26. August 2008 at 6:47 am :
You never know though, with two volumes left to go Candlewic might have a change of heart (And attitude). And I have to say, out of all the Goblin’s I do find Candlewic handsome XD.
I think if anything I just want Moppet to find someone be happy with, and she’s shown that she is (Or atleast was) attracted to Candlewic, so unless someone better comes along I’m rooting for him.
As said before, her looking like Sarah would just make a relationship with Toby sorta creepy…but I have to admit, this thought did cross my mind….
What if Moppet ends up with Jareth?
If my theory is right, then Moppet is the part of Sarah that was attracted to fairy tales, and thus Jareth. So maybe it works both ways, that Moppet is thus, the part of Sarah that Jareth is attracted to…
It would sort of work…I mean, Sarah wouldn’t have to leave her life behind in the human world…but has Jareth even seen Moppet with her mask off?
Though I guess if Jareth wasn’t going to settle for Mizumi pretending to be Sarah, he wouldn’t settle for someone who just happens to look exactly like her right?…
Right?
26. August 2008 at 10:47 am :
Yeah, I think he has seen Moppet without her mask, because remember in volume 2, Spittledrum told Moppet that Jareth said he didn’t want her hanging around the castle. Why?
Maybe because it’s too painful knowing what lies beneath the mask…
My theory is that Moppet is the abalation that Mizumi made for Jareth, and I think she’s made from Sarah’s dreams.
I think Jareth, angry and hurt that Sarah denied him, decided that if he couldn’t give Sarah her ‘dreams’, he would take them from her. And when Mizumi extracted them from Sarah, she decided to really stick it to Jareth, and made her abalation look like Sarah, and lo and behold, Moppet. And when Jareth got back to the Labyrinth, he dumped Moppet in the Junkyard. Remember the flashback scene in the first volume, when Moppet is remembering sitting in the junkyard? She’s crying , “Don’t leave me!” I think that’s the moment Jareth dumped her.
26. August 2008 at 6:47 pm :
You may be onto something Ginger…I can picture Mizumi producing Moppet during the meeting they had as kind of a way for Mizumi to get one last dig at Jareth…And maybe trying to torment him a little so it would be easier to take over the Labyrinth.
Though it does make me wonder… what if instead of Mizumi creating Moppet, it was Jareth?
Sort of like a take on creating the Frankenstein Monster, Jareth could’ve created Moppet in Sarahs image as a way of replacing her. Jareth always struck me as being unable to cope well with deep emotions, so I can picture him doing this in a fit of dispair, not really knowing how to handle himself.
And maybe after he created Moppet he realized that he just couldn’t replace Sarah, so he just ‘threw’ her away into the junk yard (Thus having the “Don’t leave me!” moment you pointed out).
I’d hope that Jareth wouldn’t be that heartless, but then again he did admit that he “..can be so cruel”
26. August 2008 at 7:16 pm :
You know, I did think about that. What if it was Jareth who created Moppet, in an attempt to simulate Sarah? It could explain why Moppet felt like she had been in that tower room that they found. Jareth might have kept her there before he made the realization that he couldn’t replace Sarah. Then when he dumped her, he tried to erase the memories of him, so she wouldn’t come back…
Gahh, Is it December yet? I’m going nuts here!
27. August 2008 at 6:14 am :
I have this mental image of Jake sitting in a room of papers that contain answers to our every questions, and he’s having a laugh and a drink of wine over our anguish (All the while petting a fluffy white cat, as dastardly villans do).
Hur, my family is in the middle of a move right now, so my manga are all sealed up in a box, thus I can’t go back and re-read and see what I’ve forgotten. I keep forgetting the most interesting bits of the manga for some reason!
We might be on the right track though, the Tower Room stuff fits right into the theory we’ve got going. It makes me wonder what Sarah will think when she sees Moppet, and how exactly she’ll react to Jareth if indeed he created Moppet to replace her (Which could provide us with a big ol’ dramatic fight…and hopefully the lovey make-up that would follow <3)
27. August 2008 at 7:46 am :
I personally can’t wait to see Jareth explain everything to Toby, Moppet, and Sarah. I have this mental image of The three of them standing together, glaring at Jareth, while he very nervously explains things. And exactly what was the bargin between Jareth and Mizumi? I have a very bad feeling that it includes Sarah, and that’s why he’s gone to see her. If I’m right, Jareth’s gonna have to have to have a hugely existential moment, if he hopes to get with Sarah… So many theories, so many months till December…
That sucks about your mangas. I feel for you, deprived from your Labyrinthy goodness…
I can also see the vision of Jake sitting, reading and laughing at us. Drat you Tokyopop, for making us wait so long!
27. August 2008 at 8:36 am :
Jareth can’t have created Moppet out Sarah’s dreams. For one that’s what he was trying to bribe her with so he already possessed them. “Look what I’m offering you… Your dreams.”
No one here has looked up ablation yet, have they?
27. August 2008 at 8:39 am :
Being a published writer must be fun, especially when like Jake you have a website where you can read everyone’s crazy theories.
27. August 2008 at 10:36 am :
Actually, I have looked up ablation, but I guess I should read the description a little more closely, since I obviously didn’t grasp it the first time…
27. August 2008 at 1:13 pm :
ahh, okay. I see my mistake now.
Hmm… well that’s half my theories down the drain.
Yay for Kristy putting a new theory in my head!
27. August 2008 at 1:15 pm :
I looked up ablation a long time ago and couldn’t really figure out what it was. Something about cutting a chunk of something off of something else.
BUT…I looked it up again just now and found this phrase:
“In glaciology, ablation is used to define the removal of ice or snow from the surface of a mass of ice.”
Glaciology? Glacial? GLACIAL GIRLS? What could it all mean?
27. August 2008 at 3:35 pm :
I can’t figure out where the hell Jake’s going with this ablation business, now that my theory has been proven wrong.
Dude, I seriously want to break into Tokyopop’s main office, and read the next volume right off the editors desk…. Where’s Tokyopop located?
Hey, I have a question for anyone who cares anymore: This afternoon I was re-reading my volumes, and something caught my eye that I didn’t really think of before. At the ball in the first volume, when Mizumi is dancing with Jareth, she says something along the lines of “Your girl is gone, your kingdom heirless,” when she calls Jareth her fiance.
Could this be a subtle hint at what their deal entitles?
Maybe I’m just thinking too hard. I just lost my job, and I don’t go back to school until January, so I don’t have much else to do…
27. August 2008 at 3:50 pm :
When I first looked up the word “ablation” I started screaming “Yes! Freakin’ yes!” when I learned the definition. I think it kind of ties in with Sarah’s sudden disinterest in theater.
This is generally where my friend and I start getting violent in our debates. We both agree the deal and the ablation have something to do with Sarah, but we can’t agree on what. She thinks the entire reason Jareth had Mizumi make the the ablation–or is it perform the ablation…?– is so Jareth could control Sarah with Moppet as some weird voodoo doll method of control. (Example: Moppet falls in love with Jareth, thereby causing Sarah to fall in love with him.) But, according to her, it didn’t work because Moppet is part of Sarah and rejected him just like in the movie.
Personally, I think that theory is just too weird. But then, as she’s so fond of pointing out, in the Labyrinth nothing is as it seems.
27. August 2008 at 3:52 pm :
LOL, no weirder than some of mine…
27. August 2008 at 4:25 pm :
I just had a thought. We’ve all been going on about an ablation of Sarah. But what if we’re going at this the entirely wrong way? What if it was a ablation of Mizumi’s power that she gave to Jareth? He was rendered powerless when Sarah defeated him, but suddenly thirteen years later he’s back in the game.
Ow. Now my brain hurts.
27. August 2008 at 5:02 pm :
Urgh, I think I’m all theoried out. I think we’ve come up with at least 10 different theories just by going back and forth and having people point out/bring up new ideas.
Anyone else think that after all it’s said and done, the ONE theory we didn’t come up with will end up being the right one?
And we’ll all end up smacking our heads in unison thinking “Of course! It’s so obvious!”
Although I do like what Gobblinize me!’s said about Moppet rejecting Jareth. It could be the reason why she was dumped in the junk yard (It seems more plausible than what I thought, that Jareth could’ve realized that nothing could replace Sarah).
It seems to fit better with his character, and maybe it was the ‘Straw that broke the camel’s back’ so to speak.
Maybe being rejected by ‘Sarah’ the second time is what led Jareth to put the events of the manga into motion (I like to think that everything is just one huge plan put together by Jareth, that while it seems like things have gone out of control, he’s still the master of what’s going on in the Labyrinth)…
27. August 2008 at 7:09 pm :
Of course, isn’t that always how it works? No one ever really knows where a story is going, but it’s always fun to guess.
28. August 2008 at 4:00 am :
Well here’s a new disscusion for everyone…how about that prophecy? Anyone got any theories on that one?
28. August 2008 at 5:11 am :
*Sings* Truuu luuuvv’s kiss!
Actually, I think it means that Mizumi is actually going to take over the Labyrinth for a while and kill either Toby or Jareth and Moppet or Sarah’s kiss will revive him. Of course, this contradicts almost all my other theories and then some.
Oooh, has anyone been wondering whether Moppet, if she turns out not to be the ablation, will turn out to be the Pathfinder?
28. August 2008 at 11:14 am :
So much fun to read the theories! No comments, I’m afraid as many of the points above will be key to volume 3 and 4. Of course for every mystery that is answered, there are some new ones to ponder. Best get back to scribbling in my notebooks, drinking wine and petting my white cat.
-Jake
28. August 2008 at 12:22 pm :
Jake,
Don’t forget to twirl your handle bar moustache while laughing “Nyah, nyah, nyah” (Tying someone to a set of railroad tracks is optional, depending on your location)
28. August 2008 at 3:59 pm :
Dang you, Forbes! Now I’m really curious!!!!
28. August 2008 at 4:34 pm :
so I finally looked up the definition of “ablation” ^_^
aaand I have a new theory to go along with that: either Jareth took something out of Sarah that became Moppet, or he took his own heart out so that he wouldn’t have to suffer about Sarah anymore
sorry if someone already voiced these theories, I just didn’t feel like reading through all the comments x.x
29. August 2008 at 12:22 am :
Mollie,
I’m going to have to agree with what you said about Jareth taking something out of Sarah that became Moppet B/C if he took out his own heart, then the intro in the 2nd vol. with Jareth and how he wanted Sarah back doesn’t really make sense!
Honestly, I do think Moppet comes in some way shape or form from Sarah AND that Moppet is the key to the Pathfinder…my question is who does the “true love’s kiss” mean if the “prince” is “lost in dark abyss”? Is this hope for us Jareth/Sarah fans out there?!
Oh! And what about that “blood” part? Anyone got any good theories on that? I think that has to do either with Sarah or Mizumi.
29. August 2008 at 12:25 am :
Sorry! One more thing:
Hey Jake,
Why was the 3rd vol. pushed back to December this year? I thought it was originally going to be released in November like the first two?
Just curious!
29. August 2008 at 1:19 pm :
Jenny,
You forget, the intro to volume 2 was a flashback from like 13 years ago, so the Jareth then had a heart, but who knows if the Jareth now still does since he saw Mizumi back then and had the whole ablation made
I think that the November release was tentatively set a while back when they weren’t quite sure when it would come out. Plus December is around the holidays, and it’d make more sense to release it then
29. August 2008 at 2:50 pm :
THEORY TIME!
Okay, here’s what I’m guessing…
Moppet is the ablation AND for some reason Jareth is considerably weaker around her. She walked into the same room as him and he suddenly drops a crystal and burns himself. Spittledrum says Jareth doesn’t want her around and yet he sent her to deliver his message to Jareth.
Mizumi will take over the kingdom for a little while. Jareth will make some grand sacrifice for Sarah but all will be set right in the end. Since this is mostly Toby’s story we probably won’t be lucky enough to see Jareth and Sarah live happily ever after.
Toby will recite his lines correctly and save the day.
In any event I hope it turns out Jareth knows Moppet is not a goblin because he’s coming off as pretty damn foolish if he really thought that was a goblin. Jareth never seemed like the type to be easily decieved by a simple masque.
29. August 2008 at 3:05 pm :
‘You forget, the intro to volume 2 was a flashback from like 13 years ago, so the Jareth then had a heart, but who knows if the Jareth now still does since he saw Mizumi back then and had the whole ablation made’
I think he still does. Remember how he reacted to seeing Moppet at the ball? If it turns out that Moppet is actually the living embodiment of Jareth’s heart that would explain why he seems weaker around her, why she looks like Sarah and has blonde hair like him.
This is starting to remind me of that 1992 animated Batman series, the episode where Robin grew attached to a little girl who was really a run away piece of Clayface.
29. August 2008 at 3:20 pm :
Oh…that’s right! Sorry about that! *bangs head on desk* Lol…I agree with Mandy…I think he does b/c of Moppet.
I’m curious as to that one scene we saw in Vol. 1 with the dark spot on Jareth’s hand. *shrugs*
Thanks for the info though! Guess I have to go back and keep re-reading the first two mangas until December! *sighs*
30. August 2008 at 8:19 am :
Someone mentioned that Moppet could be what was making Jareth’s magic weak, and that’s why he dropped the crystal when she was near… and I thought about that, and it does make sense.
But then why was he forced to run through the Labyrinth in the beginning of voulme two? Moppet was nowhere nearby, so why didn’t he just transport himself out magically? Was it lingering Moppet exposure radiation?
Any theories?
30. August 2008 at 11:29 am :
Moppet the living embodiment of Jareth’s heart? Oooooh. I like this theory.
He probably didn’t teleport because he can’t now that he’s “normal” and doesn’t rule the Labyrinth.
Has anyone ever wonder if Mr. Forbes has two user names? One for telling us “I wont tell you anything! MWHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” and another for coming up with false theories and throwing us off-track?
Hmmm. I probably shouldn’t put that on here because he’ll turn around and start doing it if he doesn’t already, but what the heck.
30. August 2008 at 7:16 pm :
But if he can’t teleport because he’s “normal” how did he get back to the Human world? Doesn’t he need magic to do that?
31. August 2008 at 10:22 am :
A small correction on an older comment. I just now realized a typo where I spelt Moulin Rogue instead of Moulin Rouge. I can’t believe I did that. I hate when people do that. The two words aren’t even pronounced the same.
31. August 2008 at 12:18 pm :
This isn’t a theory or anything (Personally I’m all theoried out), but rather something I wouldn’t mind seeing in the manga.
I think it’s safe to assume that at one point, Mizumi is going to take over the Labyrinth (Or atleast try)…And while Toby currently in charge, I’m sure Mizumi wouldn’t allow Jareth to go on unscathed, yet I don’t think she’d be willing to kill him (Rather she’d probably think it’d be better to prolong Jareth’s suffering)…
So as a throw-back to the original script for Labyrinth, I’d like to see Mizumi turn Jareth into a run-of-the-mill Goblin. While I do prefer Jareth in his normal state, it would be amusing to see what he’d look like as a Goblin (Although I’m sure Mizumi would try and make him the ugliest Goblin she could).
And besides, maybe it could provide a tribute to Beauty and the Beast (And I think we all know who the beauty would be)…
((As a side note, we’re almost to 100 posts! Hopefully by tomorrow my internet is in order, I’d hate to miss this milestone!))
31. August 2008 at 12:44 pm :
Response to Ginger: Uhhhhh… Magic? That’s we’re I stare at the computer for an hour trying to figure out how the Labyrinth is exactly connected to our world.
Cool! Everyone post like crazy so we can hit one hundred!
31. August 2008 at 4:44 pm :
Okay.
31. August 2008 at 5:17 pm :
100th post! Weeee!
31. August 2008 at 8:35 pm :
If we’re to intertwine all the official Labyrinth canon than Jareth simply cannot be turned into a goblin. The novelization says that Sarah would have been too old to be turned into a goblin so Jareth is REALLY too old.
To be honest… I don’t think I could stomach him turning into an ordinary goblin. In fact I can’t promise I’d finish reading the manga if that happened. It’s too cliche. It didn’t work in the very unsuccessful Happily Ever After (Snow White 2) and I don’t think it’ll work now.
31. August 2008 at 9:33 pm :
Happy Labor Day everyone! Now we are only 4 monts away from Return to Labyrinth vol. 3!!!!
*sighs, stretching out beside the mail-box* Is is December yet?!
By the way…congrats on making it 100 posts!!! LOL
1. September 2008 at 1:02 am :
This is why Jake T. forbes needs a forum.
1. September 2008 at 3:28 am :
Absolutely agree!
1. September 2008 at 4:53 am :
I wonder what format-thingy he uses for this site. There are tons of forums out there, guys, but this is the only place I go because it’s more fun this way.
1. September 2008 at 8:46 am :
Continuing my tangent from last night. Click the link in my screen name and you’ll see the last film in which the love interest was turned into a goblin-like creature. I’d rather not see Return to Labyrinth descend into this. This film failed for a reason.
1. September 2008 at 10:28 am :
T_T Ouch, I happen to like ‘Happily Ever After’…although to be fair I haven’t seen it in years, so maybe my view on it would’ve changed by now. Still, it’s one of my favorite childhood movies (Along with Thumbelina, The Last Unicorn, and of course Labyrinth)
I don’t mind the idea of Jareth turning into a Goblin, It’s something I can picture happening and as I said, I think it’d be a neat tribute. Any idea has the potential to become cliche, but on the other hand it may be good too, it all depends on how the idea is used.
1. September 2008 at 2:59 pm :
well, Jareth was gonna turn Toby into a goblin (according to the story anyway) so i guess fair is fair =P
i liked Happily Ever After, Last Unicorn, and Thumbelina, they were movies i used to rent over and over as a child til the tapes wore out and broke ^_^;
2. September 2008 at 12:21 pm :
‘Happily Ever After’ had the most awesome villain in an animated movie. Like, wow. Malice was too cool. He *bitch-slapped* Snow White. And, he was voiced by Alex from a Clockwork Orange.
You can’t get any better than that, personally. IMO, that movie wasn’t that great, but the vilian totally ruled.
Anyway. I like these theories, and I love reading them!
2. September 2008 at 2:49 pm :
So does that mean “Happily Ever After” is worth watching just for the villain? I’ve never seen it, because I hate Disney sequels and with the exception of Jareth I hate it when the villain suddenly starts singing.
Slapping the crud out of Snow White…Hmmm…. She’s one of my least favorite princesses for some reason. Maybe it’s her voice; I can’t decide whether it’s squeaky or too breathy.
Enchanted rules, though. Go Giselle!
2. September 2008 at 5:34 pm :
Snow White was only like 12 when she got married, FYI <_< Disney promotes underage marriages
Happily Ever After probably isn’t as good a movie to a teenager/adult than it would be to a child, so you may not enjoy it unless you really like kids stuff
when did he bitch-slap her? O.o it’s been about 11 or 12 years since I’ve actually watched that whole movie, but I can’t remember that part
Enchanted was good, but the ending ruined it for me….it made me want to cry, it was just that bad, and I almost got up and walked out (so good thing I didn’t see it in theaters)
2. September 2008 at 7:17 pm :
Gobblinize me! (I’m gonna start calling you Gobbli for short): Happily Ever After isn’t a Disney sequel. It’s another film company just trying to add to the story (Probably just trying to leach off of the popularity of the Disney version). In fact Disney threatened legal action if the movie didn’t change it’s name from “Snow White and the Realm of Doom” to what it is now to distance itself from the production.
Malice doesn’t sing, and he strikes me as being quite clever and genuinely menacing, which is why I like him as a villian. What is it about villians that make them more likeable…I guess they just see more human than most heroes…
Which sort of applies to Snow White. Thank god for the Dwarves, because that woman is about as interesting as a hole in the ground. She’s just way to perfect and nice to be able to carry a movie by herself.
I’ve tried to distance myself from Disney lately, as sort of a protest against the horrible onslaught of sequels they keep churning out. I prefer the older, lesser known Disney films to the newer, sequel ridden ones (The Great Mouse Detective for example, I’m a big Sherlock Holmes fan)
((Also, for anyone interested in watching Happily Ever After, you can find the movie on everyone’s favorite video posting website))
3. September 2008 at 4:46 am :
Not a Disney?
I might watch it if that’s the case. I’m in the mood to watch a really stupid movie with a good villain.
Disney has run out of good ideas which is why there going through all the old stuff and ruining them with…*shudder* sequel and added deleted scenes. They were deleted scenes for a reason, people!!!!
3. September 2008 at 9:04 am :
I despise Disney sequels. I mean, Little Mermaid 3? Come on, people!
I didn’t actually care for Happily Ever After, maybe because I love Disney Snow White so much. (My third favorite princess) But I will admit that Malice was a kick ass villian. Much more interesting than the evil Queen… Interestingly enough, when I pictue Mizumi, I picture her as a cross between the Evil Queen, Bellatrix Lestrange, the White Witch, and Deborah Harry.
As to the idea of Mizumi turning Jareth into a Goblin, it’s interesting, and would make for a good plot device, but such beauty wasted like that? It makes my heart hurt…
3. September 2008